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Meret Oppenheim

Swiss, German, 1913-1985

Though the fame of the sculptor and painter Meret Oppenheim stems mainly from a single work of art, that one was a doozy. Known as Object, the enduringly disconcerting fur-covered teacup, saucer and spoon that Oppenheim created in 1936 remains the one of the most notorious works to spawn from the Surrealist art movement.

Born in Germany and raised in Basel, Switzerland, Oppenheim was encouraged to pursue art by her maternal grandmother, a writer and illustrator. Oppenheim moved to Paris to attend art school in 1932. There, she met the sculptor (and fellow Swiss native) Alberto Giacometti, who introduced her to Man Ray, Max Ernst and André Breton, the founder of the Surrealist movement. Within a year, Oppenheim was exhibiting her paintings with the Surrealists, the first female artist to do so.

Object, the story goes, was born of a lunchtime chat that Oppenheim had with Pablo Picasso and his muse, artist Dora Maar, one afternoon in 1936. The Spanish-born artist admired an unusual fur-lined bracelet that Oppenheim wore, and she replied that anything could be covered fur, “even this cup and saucer!” Her imagination fired, Oppenheim bought some china and a swatch of Chinese gazelle fur. When it was exhibited in New York, Object was purchased by the Museum of Modern Art — the first work of art by a woman acquired by the institution.

Another Oppenheim piece has become an icon of the art-as-design genre, a category that has currency among art collectors: the Traccia table, a side table with a gold- or silver-leafed wooden top, incised with the shapes of two bird-claw impressions, and a cast-bronze base in the form of stork legs. The Traccia — from the Italian for “track,” as in animal track — was created for the 1939 opening of art dealer Leo Castelli’s first gallery, on the Place Vendôme in Paris. The maker Simon International began producing versions of the Traccia in 1970, and the piece is now made by Cassina. Examples are typically priced between $6,300 and $8,500, depending on condition. As striking and amusing today as when it first appeared, the Traccia is an always-suave addition to a modern art and design collection and a tribute to the humor and ingenuity of a groundbreaking 20th-century artist.

Find original Meret Oppenheim art and furniture on 1stDibs.

Meret Oppenheim Traccia Sculptural Table
By Cassina, Meret Oppenheim
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Meret Oppenheim traccia sculptural table. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. In 1971, Dino Gavino launched what he calle...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Meret Oppenheim

Materials

Steel

  • Meret Oppenheim Traccia Sculptural Table
  • Meret Oppenheim Traccia Sculptural Table
  • Meret Oppenheim Traccia Sculptural Table
  • Meret Oppenheim Traccia Sculptural Table
H 25.6 in. W 26.78 in. D 20.87 in.
Méret Oppenheim and Man Ray Print Fur Cup Object, 1971, Signed in Pencil
By Meret Oppenheim, Man Ray
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mr. Giallo is opening his personal vault to sell a collection of his treasured antiques he's held on for so long. About item Méret Oppenheim and Man Ray Print...
Category

1970s American Vintage Meret Oppenheim

Materials

Paper

Meret Oppenheim Traccia Sculptural Table for Cassina, Italy, 2022
By Meret Oppenheim, Cassina
Located in Berlin, DE
The price given applies to the item as seen in the first picture. Prices vary dependent on the chosen material. Meret Oppenheim Traccia sculptural table...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Meret Oppenheim

Materials

Bronze

Original 1970s Production Meret Oppenheim Traccia Table, Gavina, Italy
By Meret Oppenheim
Located in London, GB
An original and authentic Meret Oppenheim Traccia table. This table manufactured by Gavina, Italy as part of the initial production in...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Meret Oppenheim

Materials

Bronze, Gold Leaf

Meret Oppenheim Mid-Century Gilt Metal Bird Foot End Table
By Meret Oppenheim
Located in New York, NY
Mid-century gilt metal bird foot end/side table with oval top featuring bird foot-shaped imprints. (MERET OPPENHEIM).     
Category

20th Century Mid-Century Modern Meret Oppenheim

Materials

Metal

Traccia Table by Meret Oppenheim, 1970s
By Meret Oppenheim
Located in Berlin, Berlin
Side or coffee table 'Traccia' designed by Meret Oppenheim. Italy, Simon International, 1972. ORIGINAL EDITION. The Traccia table was designed by Meret Oppenheim in 1939 and produced by Simon International in Milan in the early 1970s. Wooden top with bird impressions embossed and applied with gold leaf...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Meret Oppenheim

Materials

Bronze

  • Traccia Table by Meret Oppenheim, 1970s
  • Traccia Table by Meret Oppenheim, 1970s
  • Traccia Table by Meret Oppenheim, 1970s
  • Traccia Table by Meret Oppenheim, 1970s
H 25.6 in. W 26.78 in. D 20.87 in.
Original Early Production Meret Oppenheim Traccia Table, Gavina, Italy, 1970s
By Meret Oppenheim, Dino Gavina
Located in London, GB
An original and authentic Meret Oppenheim Traccia table. This table manufactured by Gavina, Italy as part of the initial production in the 1970s. Oval shaped, original gold leaf top ...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Meret Oppenheim

Materials

Bronze, Gold Leaf

Meret Oppenheim Surrealistic TRACCIA Table, 1939-1978 for SIMONGavina srl
By Meret Oppenheim
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This "Traccia" table is an original Ultramobile collection (SIMON) edition reproduction of original 1939 Surrealist model with impressed bird prints on its top surface. Dino Gavina (...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Modern Meret Oppenheim

Materials

Brass

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Meret Oppenheim furniture for sale on 1stDibs

Meret Oppenheim furniture is available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive objects are frequently made of metal and designed with extraordinary care. There are many options in our collection of Meret Oppenheim furniture to choose from, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 13 vintage editions of these items in stock, while there is also a modern edition to choose from. Many of the original furniture by Meret Oppenheim were created in Europe during the 20th century in the Mid-Century Modern style. Many customers also consider furniture from Armani Casa, Gallotti & Radice, and Stone International. Prices for furniture from Meret Oppenheim can vary depending on size, time period and other attributes. The price for these items starts at $4,950 and tops out at $16,855, while pieces like these can sell for $8,246 on average.

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